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Sunday, September 12, 2010

Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D

The T-Virus Seems to be Running Its Course

[Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Wentworth Miller, Boris Kodjoe]

image from joblo.comRANT: 3D here, 3D there, 3D everywhere! So many directors and studios want to utilize this new movie medium, but most don't have the discipline or skill to match what Cameron did with "Avatar". Some studios recognize that not everyone is interested in witnessing poor 3D execution by offering both a 3D and non-3D theatrical version (a $3 - $5 savings), while others just expect us to fork out the extra money like cattle for the 3D version. Luckily, I am here to make sure you spend your dollars as wisely as possible.

SYNOPSIS: Alice comes back for vengeance with a "few friends" as she attempts to take down the Umbrella Corporation's global network. Along the way she makes her way to Arcadia in Alaska where she hopes to find other survivors. When that expedition proves fruitless, she follows a path to Los Angeles to find survivors, remnants of the North American Umbrella Corporation and thousands of the undead!

Milla Jovovich returns as Resident Evil's Alice in this fourth installment of the movie series. Picking up a few months after "Resident Evil" Extinction" left off, Alice and her clones set out to destroy the remaining Umbrella corporation facilities. After barely escaping with her life, Alica flies to Alaska to join the survivors she left in Nevada. When she only finds Claire as a mindless savage drone with a device on her chest in Alaska, Alice takes Claire with her on a flight down the coast in search of her friends. In Los Angeles, Alice finds more survivors in a prison surrounds by thousands of the undead trying to break in. As a freighter anchors in the Pacific and Claire's memories return, the entire group realizes that their hopes of survival rests in escape to the ocean.

Paul W.S. Anderson returns to his franchise as director after passing the reigns to others since the original film. Anderson has written and produced all of the films, but returns to direct "Resident Evil: Afterlife". As with the original, this sequel returns to its more moody, action-horror roots. While "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" was "Escape from New York" campy and "Resident Evil:Extinction" was a "Road Warrior" horror-western, "Resident Evil: Afterlife" returns to Anderson's style of movie-making like what he as perfected with "Death Race" and "AVP2".

Jovovich is still kicking ass and blowing the undead away after 4 films. I enjoy her look and her narrative, which is consistent throughout the series. I liked how Umbrella depowered Alice a little bit in this outing, because she was getting some crazy, scary psychic abilities at the end of the third film. Kim Coates as ex- Hollywood producer survivor Bennett is as scary as any of the undead. Ali Larter returns from the last film as survivor leader Claire, bringing some of her "Heroes" multi-roles experience to her role. Wentworth Miller from TV's "Prison Break" is expertly cast as new survivor Chris with a plan to escape from the correctional facility to the Pacific.

The action is fun to watch. Alice and her clones take apart the Umbrella facility at the start of the film. She even gets to go against a gamer-worthy big boss in a non-steamy shower scene. The 3D works in parts of the film, although I would not have paid the extra money if I didn't have to. The problem is really in the story. Although it races along at a good clip, the plot just doesn't seem to be as tightly wound as the other films. I know this film is the biggest opener of the series, and there are plans for a fifth film (especially based on the ending of "Afterlife"), but I hope that this franchise doesn't fall into the "Star Trek" plight where I only like every other film. Of course that would mean that the next one would be really good!

Worth: Netflix or DVD (for the fans)

I am also trying out a new rating system shown below based on reader reaction to my somewhat complex monetary rating scale. I will give both ratings and see what kind of reaction I muster. A movie can receive up to 5 popcorn buckets. Why popcorn buckets? Because I am a slave to the thousand + calorie delight! Enjoy!